Two arrested in connection with burglary at home of Martin County Commissioner Ed Fielding

STUART — A man and woman have been arrested in connection with a burglary and theft at the home of Martin County Commissioner Ed Fielding.

Fielding was eating lunch at about 11:40 a.m. Monday when he saw a man carrying two aluminum ladders out of his tool shed and called authorities, according to the Sheriff's Office report.

Deputies found four aluminum ladders, a wheel barrow and a bag of tools in a wooded area behind Fielding's home. The wheel barrow also turned out to be from Fielding's shed.

A short while later, a man matching the thief's description was spotted east of the woods, the report said.

Deputies charged James Edward Ford, 40, of the 5500 block of Southwest 45th Avenue, with burglary of an unoccupied structure and grand theft. He remained at the Martin County Jail on Tuesday in lieu of $5,000 bond, records show.

They also arrested Ford's girlfriend, who had been waiting on the other side of Fielding's fence to help Ford. April D. Reeve, 31, who is homeless, was charged with grand theft and remained at the jail Tuesday in lieu of $2,500 bond, records show.